Electric illuminator.



. y PATENTBD-JUNE`3m1908.

H. JfMULLEN. ELECTRIC ILLUMINATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.22', 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1HE Nantais PETERspm. wnsnmarou. n. c:

A liable to short circuit the current.

HENRY J. MULLEN, OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT.

ELECTRIC ILLUMINATOR.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1908.

Application led September 22, 1905. Serial N o. 279,671.

To all whom t may concern: r

Be it known that I, HENRY J. MULLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bur- I lington, in the county of Chittenden and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Illuminators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in electric illuminators, and pertains more particularly to a machine for automatically controlling the circuits to the electric lamps.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine of this character, in which the means for controlling the currents to the lamps is in the form of a rotatable cylinder, and said cylinder removably supported, whereby, when it is desired to change the character of the sign or attraction, the cylinder is removed and the wiring on the same changed, or another cylinder having different wiring thereon is placed in the machine. By this arrangement, it will be seen that the character of the attraction is changed without changing or touching the wirings leading from the spring-ingers, all of which are left connected up, the different wiring on the different cylinders producing signs or attractions of different characters.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine of this character, in which a more perfect contact is made between the supply wires and the wiring on the cylinder, and thus obtain better results and be less A still further object of my invention is to provide a more simple and effective machine of this character, in which the above results are accomplished.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l, is an end view of my im roved machine, showing the feed wire andp spring contacts with the end of the cylinder. end view of the op osite end of from that shown in ig. l and showing the removable bearing for the cylinder, and also showing the means by which the cylinder is rotated. Fig. 3, is a side elevation of the machine, showing the casino partly broken away, and showing the cylinder broken away to show the interior of the cylinder. Fig. 4, is a transverse vertical sectional view of the Fig. 2, 4is an the machine cylinder showing one of the spring contact arms engaging the same.

Referring .now to the drawings, l represents an elongated rectangular box-like frame and which, as shown, has one side provided with an open portion 2 extending from end to end, so as to give ready access to the interior, whereby the electrical connection between the spring contact ngers and the metallic surface or wire may be readily made or repaired when broken. The end 3 of the frame, as shown, is made solid to form a central bearing 4 for the shaft carried by the rotatable cylinder, and the opposite end 5 of the frame is provided with an enlarged central round opening 6 which is of a size greater than the diameter of the cylinder, which allows of the ready removal and insertion of the cylinder, as will be hereinafter more fully described. The ends 3 and 5 of the frame adjacent the elongated opening 2, are provided with inwardl -extending pins 7 upon which is loosely mounted the elongated bar 8, and thus the said bar is adapted to oscillate upon the pins 7. The bar 8 adjacent its upper end, is provided with a series of upwardly-extending spring contact lingers 9, all of which are of the same breadth and length, and curved inwardly so that they engage the cylinder, but do not interfere with the rotation thereof in one direction., The said bar 8 is constructed of fibrous or other insulating material, and the oscillating movement thereof allows the spring contact fingers to be moved towards or away from the cylinder, thus regulating the pressure thereof against the surface of the cylinder. This is accomplished by a spring lever device l0 which is operated by a thumb screw 11. rlhe spring lever 10 is secured to the frame l in any desired manner, and has at its upper end a thumb screw 11 which is screwed into the bar 8, and whereby an outward pull is exerted upon the lower end of the bar 8. Connected to each of said spring contact fingers 9, through bolts l2 in the bar 8, is an electrical circuit of wires 413 which extend to the different lamps within the sign, or attraction, and by means of which the lamps are lighted, and extinguished, it being understood that there are separate circuits leading from each linger to the separate lights or lamps. The end 3 of the frame is provided with a branch block 14 having fuses 14. to which are connected the supply wires l5. The said supcylinder.

ply wires are also connected to the switch board 1G carried by the upper end of the frame 1, whereby the current is supplied to the wires and passes through the fuses to the cylinder, as hereinafter described.

The outer end 5 of the frame 1, as heretofore described, is provided with an enlarged opening (5 by means of which the cylinder 17 is readily inserted or removed Vfor the purpose of placing another cylinder in the 1nachine, or changing the wiring on the same cylinder. The said cylinder, as shown, is preferably iliade of wood, which 'makes it much lighter and cheaper', and is preferably coiistructcd as followsz-lt consists Vfirst of a shaft 1S which has one end journaled in the bearing carried by the end of the frame, and the opposite end is journaled in a bar 36 and thus the shaft is rotatably supported. Carried by said shaft adjacent each end and rig- .idly secured thereto, are supporting disks 1Q which connected together at their outer peripl'leries by longitudinally extending wooden strips which form a hollow cylindrical member. The said cylinder is lined inside and out with a non-conductive material 21 which rotects all of the wood of the cylinder against the electric current, and thus prevents the burning or igniting of the wood of the cylinder. The disks 19 are also covered inside and out with a non-conducting material which is preferably asbestos, but can be of any other insulating material. The disk 19 at the solid end of the cylinder is provided with three circular metal plates or rings 22, L3 and 24, arranged circumferentially around the shaft, and as shown, are of different diameters, thus forming three distinct separate contacts or means of supply. The number of these rings can be diminished or increased according to the number of circuits required. Secured to each of said rings is an insulated wire 25 which passes through the disk 1), and into the hollowportion of the cylinder, and the said wires are secured to metal plugs 26, 27 and 28 extending through the outer periphery of the cylinder, and said plugs are surrounded by insulating material 29 which protects the wood of the cylinder. The said plugs extend through the covering of the cylinder and are in contact with the metal plates 30 on the outer periphery of the cylinder, and said plates are connected to the winding of wire 31 on the Each of said plugs represents a separate circuit, and the cylinder is divided into as many sections as there are circuits, so that the current is carried from each contact ring on the end of the cylinder to its respective part of the display or attraction. The

' nature of the sign or attraction, it is understood, is governed by the arrangement of the wiring on the cylinder', and the sign or attraction is readily changed by placing a diferently Wired cylinder in the machine.

In order to supply the cylinder with the necessary current through the metal rings carried by the end, l provide the end 3 of the frame with a removable strip 32 which carries a series of spring contact 'lingers 3?), 34

and 35 which bear respectively upon the metal rings 22, 2S and 24, and said springs have connected thereto the wires 32%, 34 and 35 leading from the branch block 14, and thus the rings are supplied with the necessary current. The end 5 of the frame 1 is provided with an enlarged opening (3, and extending across said opcning is a removable bearing 36 which is secured to the end of the vframe by screws or thumb-screws 37, and in said bearing is rotatably mounted one end of the shaft 1.8. The outer end of the shaft 1S on the outside of the journal or bearing 3G is provided with a sprocket wheel 3S over which passes a chain 39, and said chain is driven by a sprocket wheel Ll() carried by a motor 41 on the top of the frame, and whereby the cylinder is rotated. 'lhe motor, as shown, is of an electrical forni, and supplied with power by a Wire leading from the switch or any other means.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that upon the rotation of the cylinder, the wiring thereon engages the spring linger according to the Apositioning of the wiring, and closes or completes the circuit, and causes the lamp attached to said arm to be lighted, thus making the sign, the said light being lighted -for the period of time that the spring arm remains on the metallic surface or wire winding 'forming contacts on the cylinder. It will also be readily seen that by removing the bearing 36, the cylinder 17 may be readily removed, and another' cylinder with a different wiring placed therein, without changing any of the Wiring of the machine, but the 'cylinder placed therein is provided with a different wiring, and thus changes the character of the illumination.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 2- 1. A. device o'f the character described, comprising a frame, a cylinder rotatably and removably supported with the frame, and having a covering of insulation, metal contact Wires Wound upon the insulation and electrically connected to the metal rings concentrically arranged upon the solid end of the cylinder, and spring contact 'lingers carried by the 'frame and engaging the said cylinder.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a frame, a cylinder removably mounted therein, an insulating covering -for the cylinder, a plate extending longitudinally of the cylinder and secured thereto on the outside of the insulator, feed Wires within the cylinder and extending therethrough and insulated therefrom and connected to the longitudinal plate, means carried by the end of the cylinder for supplying the feed Wire With the desired current, a Wire contact Wound upon the cylinder on the outside of the longitudinal plate and arranged in a spiral form, and spring contact fingers of equal length and extending over and bearing upon the cylinder. y

3. A device of the character described, comprising a frame, a cylinder removably mounted therein, an insulating covering for the cylinder, a plate extending longitudinally of the cylinder and secured thereto, on the outside ofthe insulation, supply rings carried by one end of the supply arms carried by the frame and engaging the rings, feed Wires connected to the rings and extending Within the cylinder, and therethrough, and insulated therefrom, and connected to the longitudinal plate, a wire contact Wound upon the cylinder on the outside of the longitudinal plate and arranged in a spiral form, and spring contact fingers of equal length and extending over and bearing upon the cylinder.

4. A device of the character described,-

comprising a frame, a cylinder mounted therein, an insulating covering for the cylinder, a plate extending longitudinally of the cylinder and secured thereto on the outside of the insulation, feed Wires Within the cylinder and extending therethrough, and insulated therefrom and connected to the longitudinal plates, concentric rings carried by the ends of the cylinder, plugs connected to the concentric rings and extending through the cylinder, and insulated therefrom and connected to the Wiring Within the cylinder, spring supply fingers carried by the frame and engaging the concentric rings, spring iingers carried by the frame and engaging the outer periphery of the cylinder, and a separate electric connection With each of the last named 'ngers In testimony whereof l do affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY J. MULLEN.

Witnesses:

PATRICK H. PRigoR, SIMON L. PLA'rxA. 

